We are completely satisfied
that our list of England
captains is as accurate as it can be, despite missing a few. We have had some
difficulty in determining the captains in six matches, all before World
War II, because the original media contains conflicting information
as to their identity, or no information at all. We welcome
comments on the decisions we have made.

It is
apparently easy to look at various source material, whether it be on the
internet or in statistical publications, and those various authors can name
those captains for whom it 'should' be, or 'whom' it could be. The
conclusion of the matter is, they are just guessing. This website does
not guess. So our figures will always remain conflicted to many other
mainstream sources. In our Captain's list, where a conflict arises, we
make note of such. Where the conflict arises and it makes it difficult
to give a name to the Captain of the said match, then we simply do not.
We are not afraid to say 'we do not know'.

Our source material goes back to the
media of the day. That is to say, nineteenth century newspapers of
reputable stature. It is easy to open up a book, say 'Complete History
of England Football Team', and read what it says on the Captain... but their
source notes are not reliable.

Unfortunate to say, the only reliable
source are the players itself, and sadly, they have all died. That is
not to say that we may never find out, because attics are always emptied, and
collector's are always looking. One day, that note which confirms who
was Captain in that match will appear...

Again, it is unknown. Once more,
despite extensive research in both the English newspapers and the Irish
newspapers of the time, there has not been found a
single contemporaneous record of England's captain for this match.

Various sources cannot decide who was captain for this
match, probably Charles Wreford-Brown, but possibly Cunliffe Gosling.
Wreford-Brown was by far the oldest in an inexperienced team, but neither
Sporting Life, Manchester Guardian, North
Wales Guardian, The Times, The Field, The Sportsman,
Sporting Chronicle, and Northern Whig make mention of a
captain.

The captaincy was probably given to George Raikes, at
least according to Irish Saturday Night and The Irish Times.
The London Times gives a first captaincy to Gilbert Smith, and
Vaughan Lodge is also a possibility. Many other sources do not
specify any captain.

This match is again, unknown. Once
more, despite extensive research in both the English newspapers and the Welsh
newspapers of
the time, there has not been found a single contemporaneous record of
England's captain for this match.